By Omotayo Edubi
Nigerians have taken to social media to react to the removal of Alwan Hassan as a spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council following the controversy surrounding his appearance on Channels Television, where Nigeria’s 112 emergency number reportedly failed during a live demonstration.
Latest: 2027 presidential election: candidates, running mates and campaign updates (live tracker)
Key Highlights
- APC removes Alwan Hassan from its Presidential Campaign Council spokesperson team.
- The decision follows controversy over his live demonstration of Nigeria’s 112 emergency number on Channels Television.
- Hassan challenged Politics Today presenter Seun Okinbaloye to call 112 during the programme.
- The emergency number reportedly failed to connect during repeated attempts.
- Ayobami Oyalowo, Kemi Asekun-Shittu and Adamu Fanda were also removed from their spokesperson positions.
- Nigerians have expressed mixed reactions to the development on social media.
APC Removes Alwan Hassan, Three Others
The APC announced Hassan’s removal in a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and Deputy Director-General (Administration) of the campaign council.
The announcement also affected Ayobami Oyalowo, Kemi Asekun-Shittu and Adamu Fanda, who were removed from their spokesperson positions.
According to the announcement, only three individuals would remain authorised to speak on behalf of the campaign council.
They are Director-General Abdulaziz Yari, Minister of Solid Minerals Dele Alake and Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris.
The reorganisation has generated widespread reactions, with some Nigerians linking Hassan’s removal to his controversial television appearance, although the APC did not officially state that the 112 incident was the reason for the decision.
How the 112 Emergency Number Controversy Started
The development followed Hassan’s appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, where he highlighted the introduction of the 112 emergency number as one of the achievements of the Tinubu administration.
During the programme, Hassan compared Nigeria’s emergency response system with the United States’ 911 service and challenged the programme’s presenter, Seun Okinbaloye, to test the number live.
He said:
“Take your phone and call 112. Nobody knows about this. We used to hear it in America, 911. Call 112 now, put it on the speaker, and they’ll ask you what’s your emergency.”
However, attempts to reach the emergency service reportedly failed several times during the live broadcast.
The incident immediately attracted public attention, raising questions about the accessibility and reliability of Nigeria’s emergency response system.
The failed demonstration also triggered widespread criticism, particularly because Hassan had presented the emergency number as evidence of the government’s efforts to improve public safety and emergency response.
Nigerians Mock Hassan’s Removal on Social Media
Reacting to the development, several Nigerians took to X, formerly Twitter, to express their opinions about Hassan’s removal.
An X user, Eze Henry Chizoba, with the handle @henrochizo14, expressed sympathy for the former spokesperson, suggesting that his previous public statements and television appearances might have contributed to his predicament.
He wrote:
“I genuinely feel for Alwan Hassan.
The man had a habit of telling Nigerians the truth, even when nobody asked.
He told us ministers allegedly paid billions to secure appointments and needed time to recover their investments. Then, on live TV at Channels, he challenged Seun Okinbaloye to call 112, only for the emergency number to embarrass him in front of the entire country.
Now APC has reorganised its spokesperson team, and he’s no longer among the three authorised voices.
What a time to discover that in this government, telling the truth can be an occupational hazard.
As our elders say, before you go to war against another town, know the strength of your own town.”
Another X user, @greasedbygra…, criticised Hassan, arguing that his previous comments had drawn attention to alleged shortcomings within the Tinubu administration.
The user wrote:
“Alwan has consistently opened our eyes to the failures of this government.
In a previous interview he confirmed Ministers paid for their positions and expecting them to do anything will be futile.
Now his claim of an existing emergency line has also proven false.”
Other Nigerians Blame Hassan for Controversial TV Appearance
Osasu Agho, who posts on X as @Thought…, appeared less sympathetic, blaming Hassan for making claims he could not substantiate.
“He was carried away with so much lies. To think that he was even dialing the number is enough to sack him,” Agho wrote.
Similarly, another X user, @WABG4Naija, mocked the development, suggesting that Hassan had gone beyond what the party expected of him.
“He overlies. He lied beyond what APC sent him. APC was shocked and had to sack him. From Dial am to Sack am,” the user wrote.
Another user, @alvint11xp, also linked Hassan’s removal to his performance as a political spokesperson.
“He wasn’t doing the lying job well that’s why they sacked him,” the user stated.
The reactions reflect the divisions among Nigerians over Hassan’s performance, with some mocking his television appearance while others questioned the decision to remove him from the campaign communication team.
Read also:
- Nigerians Mock APC Chieftain As 112 Emergency Number Fails Test On Live Television
- PRP Chairman Baba-Ahmed Accuses Tinubu of Buying Power as APC Reshuffles 2027 Campaign Council
- Tinubu’s 2027 Campaign Council: Wike, Soludo, Adeleke Appointments Spark APC Backlash
Hassan Previously Sparked Controversy Over Alleged Payments for Ministerial Appointments
The latest controversy is not the first time Hassan has attracted public attention over comments made during a television interview.
Weeks earlier, he generated widespread criticism after claiming that some ministers allegedly paid billions of naira to secure appointments in President Tinubu’s administration.
His remarks sparked debate over the alleged financial transactions involved in securing political appointments and the implications for public service delivery.
The comments also raised questions about whether some political appointees might prioritise recovering money allegedly spent to secure their positions.
However, the allegations have not been established as facts against the ministers concerned.
APC Communication Strategy Under Public Scrutiny
Hassan’s removal and the controversy surrounding the 112 emergency number have further fuelled conversations about the Tinubu administration’s communication strategy and the effectiveness of public emergency services in Nigeria.
The incident has also renewed attention on the responsibility of political spokespersons to verify claims before presenting government programmes and policies to the public.
Beyond the political implications, the failed live demonstration has raised an important public safety question: how accessible and dependable is Nigeria’s 112 emergency number when citizens urgently need assistance?
While the APC has announced changes to its campaign communication team, the party has not publicly established that Hassan’s removal was directly connected to the television incident.
Nevertheless, the development continues to generate reactions, with many Nigerians linking the decision to the embarrassing live demonstration on Channels Television.
For more political updates, follow us on X.
